Downtown

If you work in downtown Portland there are many cost effective commute options for the southbound commuter. SmartTrips Downtownis also a great resource for you. It provides transportation information and resources for the Southwest Washington commuter who works in downtown.

What southbound solution works for you?

CARPOOL

Sharing a ride with one, two, or even three other southbound commuters is the most flexible way to cut down on the cost of your southbound commute.

Do you need to find a carpool partner? One of the easiest ways to find a carpool partner is to create a confidential account on the RideshareOnline site. By creating an account it will allow you to creat a trip and it then will automatically match you up with other users in the system. It is a confidential carpoolmatching system that will allow you to contact potential matches via e-mail to start the discussion about possibly setting up a carpool.

VANPOOL If you know of five to twelve people who live in the same area and want to share a ride to downtown Portland you might want to consider forming or joining a C-TRAN vanpool. For more information, please call 360-906-7510.

TRANSITThere are several options available to southbound commuters who want to relax during their commute and leave the driving to someone else. With the cooperative efforts of C-TRAN and TriMet, there may be a transit route that is a perfect fit for you!

If you use C-TRAN limited service to MAX light rail stations (Delta Park/Vanport and Parkrose/Sumner) you can catch the TriMet Bus or MAX line that takes you to work. Please Note: Only C-TRAN All Zone or Express Zone fare instruments can be used on TriMet.

BICYCLEWhile downtown Portland may seem like a far bike ride, depending on where you live in Southwest Washington, it could be a good option for you. You can ride the whole distance or you could ride your bike to a bus stop or transit center and either leave your bike there if secure facilities are available or you could take your bike with you.

Both the I-5 bridge and I-205 bridge have bike paths that are accessible from both Vancouver and Portland. The City of Vancouver has a bike map that shows routes within Vancouver to the bridges, and then it also includes the City of Portland bike map. You can ride the whole distance or you can ride your bike to a bus stop or transit center and either lock your bike there (if secure facilities are available) or you can take your bike with you. Contact SmartTrips Downtown to order bicycling information, If you’d like a copy of the current Vancouver Bike Map, send us an e-mail that includes your name and mailing address and we’ll send one to you right away!

TIP

TriMet offers free parking for TriMet riders and carpoolers for 24 hours. Many of TriMet’s Park & Ride lots have been generously donated by churches and businesses. These lots are available weekdays only for TriMet riders, carpools and vanpools.